Читать книгу Truth or Deception? - B. L. Smith - Страница 3

Truth or Deception? is a collection of many notes, written over a period of many years. Writing this book has been a challenging, yet rewarding, experience. I had been telling people that I was going to write a book, and my wife told me that if I don’t publish it soon, it may be too heavy for anyone to pick up and read. I have chosen sixteen subjects to write about from of my big stack of notes.

The book that I am getting my information from, the Holy Bible, has been around for thousands of years. The things that are happening today validate its authenticity. It tells us what is the most valuable and important thing that a person can possess on earth—it is not money, sex, or fun, it is the soul. The Bible also tells us how and where we will spend eternity and how to choose our destination. It tells us that life is as short as a vapor, but eternity has no end. After you die, comes the judgement. Will you spend eternity in peace or torment? You have a soul and a spirit. When you look in the mirror, what you see is temporary. What you don’t see is eternal.

People have been hearing about the Bible’s contents from others for years, but I encourage you to read it for yourself and ask for divine guidance. In 2 Peter 2:1, the Bible tells us that men will make merchandise of you .

The Devil’s, or Satan’s, intention is to enslave everyone on earth with sin. My intention is to inform Christians and leaders how they have dropped the ball. It was spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 that this would happen. In the book of Matthew (5:13), it tells us that we are the salt of the earth, but when the salt have lost its savor, it is good for nothing. Many social ills of today within the church (and in the world) can be blamed on greed, power, and the acceptance of the world’s ungodly system.

Matthew 21:13 says, “My house shall be called the house of prayer but you have made it a den of thieves.” Some churches have been bought out by some ungodly politicians (on both sides of the aisle). Their gospel message changed from the eternal things to messages of prosperity and breakthroughs for today. Some churches stopped preaching against sin, and instead they are putting their emphasis on “tolerance.” The Bible tells us not to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather, reprove them. It also tells us to resist the Devil and he will flee from us.

There is power in the name of Jesus.

Today the Devil has the church on the run. Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil, that put darkness for light and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” These people will use enticing words, but they do not serve Jesus Christ. They deceive the heart of the simple (Rom. 6:18). In the book of Isiah 9:16 it says, “For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led by them are destroyed.”

In 2 Corinthians 11:14, it lets us know that Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Second Thessalonians 2:3-4 says that Satan has ministers who are transformed as ministers of righteousness. This includes false religions, spiritual leaders, politicians, professors, lobbyist, judges, lawyers, etc. Satan is using a plethora of devices to destroy the establishment of the family. The family is the foundation of society. Satan is trying to change marriage from the way God intended for it to be. In the beginning God created the family—male and female created He them. Satan rules by force and God gives us a free will to choose. Satan has divided God’s people. Spiritual leaders have not spoken out against things they know are ungodly. Is this because of tax breaks? If you do the Lord’s will, He will pay the bill.

One example is the Tuskegee syphilis experiment by the US public health service. This experiment lasted from 1932 to 1972. This involved 600 Negro men, 399 with syphilis and 201 without syphilis. The study was done without the knowledge of the patients. Both blacks and whites alike assisted in this evil experiment. To understand how Satan works, it was told to the young Negroes that this was a “white only” thing. This put hatred and racism into uninformed people. The Bible tells us that the Devil is the father of lies, and he is an equal opportunity liar. This is just one example, from many, where the church has kept silent instead of exposing one of the Devil’s tricks. The Devil wants souls, no matter how he gets them.

Satan is pitting the rich against the poor and the poor against the rich. Proverbs 22:2 tells us that the rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all. First John 3:17 says, “But whoso hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him.” Matthew19:24 says, “It is easier for the camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” This is a person whose money owns him, not one who owns his or her money. The love of money is the root of all evil. The reason that it is hard for a rich man to enter is because he doesn’t think he needs the Lord. (See Luke 12:20) Jesus had a rich disciple, please read Matthew 27:57 and Isaiah 53:9.

The Devil is trying to turn the world upside down with sin. The Bible tells us that righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. But there is hope. Second Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek me face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (Emphasis added)

A good example of a deceiver in modern history was a guy named Jim Jones. His church was called the People’s Temple. He used the Bible to deceive and entice people into committing murder and suicide. More than 900 people (including 276 children), one congressman, and two news personnel (from NBC) died in the country of Guyana.

Jones had an interesting history. He adopted various races of children, and he called them his “rainbow family.” He was bisexual, according to sources. He created social change in Indianapolis. He gave out free lunches to the needy. He got politicians in California elected with his congregation’s votes. One governor, a president’s wife, and other political figures even spoke from his platform. Deceivers always have some good characteristics, yet their end is death and hell.

Adolph Hitler was another deceiver with similar characteristics. He was believable—both a problem maker and a problem solver. He had his own agenda, murdering over six million Jews. This was Lucifer, Satan, the Devil working through one man. He also used religion to deceive others. Please research these men. Compare them with the crisis of today, and you may be surprised at the similar tactics used.

The Bible is different from any other book in the world. It speaks of the past, the present, and the future. This Bible will never be outdated. It tells us about the beginning of time to the end of time, and eternity.

The United States of America became the greatest nation on earth, and it was founded upon Christian principles that recognized the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It also recognized the prophets, the apostles, and Jesus Christ as the Chief Cornerstone. Before people became enlightened by the Bible, slavery was common all over the world. Both white and black slave owners existed in the US. William Wilberforce became a Christian and spoke out against slavery. He helped to get it abolished in England, and John Newton assisted him. Newton was a former slave trader who became a Christian. Newton wrote the hymn “Amazing Grace.” Slavery was later abolished in the United States. Sadly, it is reported that slavery still exists in over 150 countries in parts of Africa, India, Haiti, and the Middle East. The sex trade still exists in the United States. All forms of slavery is a sin. The Bible tells us to do unto others as we would have them do onto us. It says to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matt. 22:39). The Devil’s intention is to enslave everyone on earth with sin.

This is how to identify a person who has been deceived: No matter what you tell them, or what they know about a deceiver, the person (to whom they have an allegiance) can do no wrong. Even though what the person is doing, and or saying, is against the Word of God, the deceived will not listen. This is happening to old and young people alike. Their eyes are open but their minds are blind.

The Bible tells us how to understand its content by putting precept upon precept and line upon line, here a little and there a little, according to Isiah 28:10. Genesis tells us how everything began on earth and in space. The book of Isiah tells us that the world is round. There was no human way possible to know this back when this was written. It was revealed to the prophet Isaiah. In the book of Job, we are told that the earth is suspended in space.

The Law and the New Testament are different in their approach. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (1 John 10:17). Exodus 21:24 says, “An eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.” In Matthew 5:38-39 Jesus tells us to “resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” If we followed the Old Testament, there would be a lot of blind and toothless people with missing limbs around. God sent His Son to fulfill the requirements of the law. Hebrews 8:13 says, “A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which is decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” (Compare the book of Deuteronomy 24:1 in the Old Testament with Matthew 5:31 regarding divorce.)

Jesus said, “But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my father’s name and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye shall receive.” There are two forces on earth GOOD and EVIL. When Jesus was on earth, He spoke of the antichrist.

This is what Lucifer (Satan) intends. He wants to weaken the nations. He said he would sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north. “‘I will be like the Most High.’ Yet though shall be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit” (Isa.14:14-15).

In the book of John, it tells us that people will kill believers thinking that they are doing God’s service, and Revelations tells us believers will be beheaded. The words of the Bible are true. It also warns us of false spiritual leaders that are of this world. You cannot serve two masters. “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” You cannot have an allegiance to any wrongness—even in politics. The challenge is made to righteous, spiritual leaders: They should be strong, unmovable, and fearless with the Word of God. In the book of Revelations (21:8), we can see that the fearful are first on the list of those who will have their part in the lake of fire. So, trust in God. Pray without ceasing, for your adversary, the Devil, is always on the prowl.

Read the Bible for yourself and ask the Lord to save you.